Chandigarh, November 30
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has called upon the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to act as a “model employer”. Describing the process of imparting education as “service of God”, a Division Bench has told the SGPC to at least pay government scales to employees of Shri Guru Harkrishan Sahib Khalsa College at Panjokhra Sahib in Ambala. Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Augustine George Masih also told Haryana to verify whether revised pay scales were being paid and arrears cleared.

The directions came on decade-old petition filed by the college against the State of Haryana and other respondents. Initially, some college employees had moved the High Court for grant of salary in accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment letters. It was alleged that the “college was adopting the practice of obtaining signatures on higher pay while actual disbursement was less”.

Allowing the petition, a Bench directed on February 8, 2000, the payment of due amount within three months. A direction was also issued to revise their pay in accordance with directions issued by the state government. An inquiry later found that the salary had not been paid as directed by the court. The college had failed to revise the employees’ salary in revised scales. “In view of the recalcitrant attitude of the petitioner, the no-objection certificate granted on July 8, 1993, was withdrawn vide an order dated July 30, 2003,” the Bench observed.

The present petition filed by the college was admitted in September, 2003, and the impugned order’s operation was stayed. Appearing before the Bench, the counsel for the petitioner submitted that the college was actually closed in 2005, but the SGPC decided to revive it in 2011. He added that the SGPC had agreed to grant pay scales fixed by the state government, but prayed that the withdrawal of no-objection certificate be cancelled.

Taking note of the assertion, the Bench asserted, “We emphasised on the counsel for the petitioner that the SGPC should be a model employer and service of education itself is a service of God. Thus, there should not be any issue of paying at least government scales to build a reputable educational institution. The counsel for the petitioner submits that revised pay scales are being paid now and some of the petitioners have even been reinstated. We call upon the state government to look into this matter and verify what has been stated by the counsel for the petitioner. If the revised pay scales are now being paid and arrears cleared, the impugned order be recalled.”

Rewari, November 30
A man allegedly killed his wife and two daughters with a dagger at Rajgarh village, about 20 km from Rewari, late last night.

Manoj, the accused, reportedly drank blood from the bodies of his wife Sarita Devi (23) and his two daughters, 2-year-old Madhu and 10-month-old Annu, and later pierced the dagger into his abdomen, making an attempt to end his life.

He has been admitted to a private hospital here where his condition is stated to be critical.

He said he was a devotee of Lord Hanuman, who told him in a dream that his life was nearing end. He further said he killed his wife and children to save them from utter misery after his death.

Sarita’s brother Surender Singh filed a complaint alleging Manoj had killed her and children over dowry.

Following his complaint, the Rampura police have registered a case of murder, dowry death and harassment against Manoj while his two younger brothers and mother have been booked for dowry death. — OC

Hisar, November 30
The Vijay Rally of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), on the culmination of the two-month yatra of its supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi, will be a litmus test of his popularity and the future of the HJC-BJP alliance.

Bishnoi left no stone unturned to ensure a grand show on the foundation day of the party as he visited almost every constituency. The absence of senior BJP leaders can leave a void on stage at the rally tomorrow. Only Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley has confirmed participation.

The HJC has been aggressively pursuing the non-Jat poll plank. Sensing a void in the non-Jat leadership, he been trying to project himself as the most prominent leader of this section.

Taking potshots at the Chief Minister, he has been accusing Bhupinder Singh Hooda of focus on one community and one region in extending favours like development grants and jobs.

After an early setback when five HJC legislators joined the Congress after the Assembly elections in 2009, he planned his political strategy and entered into an alliance with the BJP.

With the INLD and a dissident Congress leader from Ahirwal trying to strike an electoral understanding with the BJP, it is incumbent on Bishnoi to keep them away from his alliance partner, say political observers.

"Despite reiterations from BJP leaders about the continuation of the alliance, the party seems to be having an open mind. The presence of Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi at a recent INLD rally is a clear indication of it," said a political expert.

Sirsa, November 30
Heavy security is in place in Sirsa as Rajasthan goes to the polls tomorrow. The four Assembly segments of Rajasthan — Nohar, Bhadra, Sangaria and Tibbi — have 24 links to Sirsa through highways and link roads. The Sirsa police has set up barricades on all these roads, a spokesperson said today.

“Each of these 24 barricades has six police personnel on duty round the clock. Four Station House Officers and Inspectors of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Sirsa and Dabwali are patrolling the barricades, where every passing vehicle is being stopped and checked for liquor, arms and ammunition and cash,” he said.

The police was checking the identity of persons crossing the barricades so that no proclaimed offender sneaked into the poll-bound state.

The security arrangements assume significance as relatives of several prominent political leaders of Sirsa and Fatehabad are contesting elections in Rajasthan.

On the directions of the Election Commission of India, senior police officers of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan held a meeting in October to coordinate at the time of the elections.